How to Keep House Plants Alive and Healthy

Green, tiny plants are somehow very decorative inside houses. There’s a different ambiance when you have those living organisms in your kitchen, dining room, or perhaps the coffee table in your living room.

Yet, we all know how fragile plants can be if they are not well taken care of. They need some nutrients from various natural sources. You have to be very observant and consistent in taking care of your plants. The fact that they cannot tell you they’re thirsty if they need water or scream in pain is one big reason to nourish it with enough care. That’s exactly what this post is all about. We’re going to discuss how to keep your plants healthy and alive despite their stillness inside the house.

While unattended care is an instant killer of plants, too much care can probably have the same consequence. Over watering, too much sun exposure, etc. are possible causes that can kill plants. That simply suggests that you need to give the right amount of supply needed by plants in order to grow healthily and stay looking alive.

1. Figure Out the Name of Your Plants

Plants have differences by way of nurturing them. You probably learn at a young age that there are plants that grow on their own with little water, while others need more. Some plants can still become healthy without enough sun exposure, and others are the opposite. By knowing what kind of plants you have, it is essentially helpful in your course of taking care of them. The common names are the key for you to know the basic requirements of growing plants. They also give you solutions and treatments in case of any problems.

2. Place Them at the Right Spot

Most plants need light supply as you basically know that photosynthesis is a very essential requirement. If plants are kept inside a house for the sake of additional décors, the area where to place them must have a pathway of getting light from the sun. There has to be an open window that is able to transmit light all the way from the sun to the plants. This means that indoor plants have to be displayed near windows where they can receive enough amount of light every morning. Unless you are willing to put them outside everytime the sun rise and put them back in for the rest of the day. That can be daunting which most home owners won’t like to do especially if there are many chores await them.

There’s one alternative that can provide the same nutrients as the sun. That is to use a fluorescent light bulb. It has to be installed near the plant or display the plant as close to the bulb light. Just don’t make place them so close that may overheat the plant. However, you do not need to keep the light on even during daytime. Just have it switched on at night that can provide additional supply to the plants during night hours so you’ll be able to save electricity or maintain your regular bill.

As ironic it may sound, plants need some darkness too in order to stay alive. In fact, that’s how they really evolve. This is not a problem to do because you can simply turn off the lights when it’s time for bed. 6 to 8 hours would be enough to place them in darkness. However, the standard number of hours needed is 12 hours just as the same amount of time to get light.

4. Water Them Regularly

The simplest and most common task that people agree with is watering plants. Perhaps, your youngest kid even knows how important water is to plants. The tricky part is that plants have various amount of water needed, as same as the light supply if you recall. Some plants need at least three times watering session. Others may need less or more than that. You have to know each plant you have in regards to the amount of water to provide and the times to water them in a daily or weekly basis.

Remember to avoid overwatering plants. This can easily kill the roots and they’re evident once they began to collapse. What you need to do is to check if the surface of the compost is dry. That’s your indication to safely water the plants. Everytime the soil is dry, don’t hesitate to pour some water in it and let the plants enjoy the fresh wetness from the roots up to the soil.

During daytime, plants are likely to have sun light. That is not a good time to water them because you will only waste water. It is better that you water them at noon or before the sun rise so the plants can absorb enough amount of water.

In addition, the kind of water to use for plants has to be considered as well. Filtered water is what plants need so the nutrients needed are provided. You can simply filter your own water which is quite cheaper than buying ready-made filtered water in bottles. During rainy days, you can have your plants watered with rain. It is a natural source of water with lots of nutrients so consider this to be beneficial too.

5. Use the Right Soil and Fertilizer

One last thing that can help you keep your plants alive and healthy is to apply the right soil and fertilizer. Any soil that is ripped out of the natural landscape is not beneficial. That is because the natural soil profile in it is instantly damaged. Filling it with water in the pot won’t be anything helpful anymore. Rather, you use potting soil in bags which you can normally get in any local stores. As for the fertilizer, choose 17+ elements that help plants grow and develop healthily.

Remember to always know the basics of how to take care of plants. If you want to have some natural pieces of displays in your house, come up with healthy and beautiful plants which you can easily and properly manage.